Is AD 2012-15-13 a recurring Airworthiness Directive?

Yes — AD 2012-15-13 requires a repetitive inspection. Next-due depends on the aircraft's time in service.

Which aircraft does AD 2012-15-13 apply to?

AD 2012-15-13 applies to Boeing — models 747-100B SUD, 747-300, 747-400, 747-400D, 747-200B, 747. Serial/part conditions may narrow it to specific aircraft.

Airworthiness Directive 2012-15-13

recurring

Official AD 2012-15-13 · FR doc 2012-18627 · 2012-08-08 · airframe

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

What this AD requires

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for all Model 747-100B SUD, 747-300, 747-400, and 747-400D series airplanes; and Model 747-200B series airplanes having a stretched upper deck. The existing AD currently requires repetitively inspecting for cracking or discrepancies of the fasteners in the tension ties, shear webs, and frames at body stations 1120 through 1220; and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. That AD requires modifying the frame-to-tension-tie joints at body stations 1120 through 1220 (including related investigative actions and corrective actions if necessary), which provides a terminating action for the repetitive inspections. That AD also requires new repetitive inspections after the modification, corrective actions if necessary, and additional modification requirements at a specified time after the first modification. That AD also removed certain airplanes from the applicability. That AD was prompted by reports of cracked and severed tension ties, broken fasteners, and cracks in the frame, shear web, and shear ties adjacent to tension ties for the upper deck. This AD revises the existing AD by adding repetitive open hole high frequency eddy current (HFEC) inspections for cracking in the forward and aft tension tie channels, and repair if necessary. For certain airplanes, this AD also requires a one-time angle inspection to determine if the angle is installed correctly, and re-installation if necessary; and a one-time open hole HFEC inspection at the fastener locations where the tension tie previously attached to the frame prior to certain modifications, and repair if necessary. This AD also, for the Stage 2 inspections, reduces the initial compliance times for those inspections. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracking of the tension ties, shear webs, and frames of the upper deck, which could result in rapid decompression and reduced structural integrity of the airplane.

Repetitive inspection. Re-inspect. The next-due date/hours depend on this aircraft’s time in service — a records report computes it from the logbooks.

Which aircraft AD 2012-15-13 applies to

MakesBoeing

Models747-100B SUD, 747-300, 747-400, 747-400D, 747-200B, 747

747-200B series airplanes are covered only if having a stretched upper deck (SUD); excludes airplanes that have been converted to a large cargo freighter configuration.

Whether AD 2012-15-13 actually applies to your aircraft (by serial and installed parts) and whether it’s already complied with comes from that aircraft’s records.

How AD compliance is recorded

A valid compliance record (14 CFR 43.9) states:

Method of compliance — The specific action taken (inspected, replaced, modified) and to what revision.

Date — When the work was done.

Aircraft time — Total time in service / tach at compliance — how recurring next-due is computed.

Signature & certificate — The A&P/IA who returned it to service, with certificate number.

Is AD 2012-15-13 complied with on your aircraft?

Tailplate reads a tail number’s logbooks and matches every applicable AD — including this one — to its compliance evidence, with recurring next-due dates computed.

Look up a tail number →Read the full directive (Federal Register)

Applicability is derived from the FAA directive corpus and is advisory, not a legal airworthiness determination. Compliance is established only from an aircraft’s actual records.